NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS
September 15, 2025
Nature Moncton members as well as
any naturalist in New Brunswick or beyond are invited to share their photos and
descriptions of recent nature sightings to build a fresh (almost) daily edition
of Nature News
To respond by e-mail, please address
your message to the information line editor, nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com .
Please advise the editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
if any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.
For more information on Nature Moncton, check the website at www.naturemoncton.com .
Proofreading
courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca
**The
first Nature Moncton meeting of the season is on for tomorrow night, Tuesday September 16, on wild mushrooms. The drought has surely held the fall flash of
mushrooms at bay, but be assured they are waiting to explode into
action with the first fall moisture, and we will be ready!
I was
sure surprised to drop by David and Anita Cannon’s home on Sunday evening and
see approximately 50 beautiful horse mushrooms at their prime and in dry soil!!
Take a look around for surprise specimens.
All
details
Wild Mushrooms
Tuesday, September 16 at 7:00 PM
Moncton Rotary Lodge
Speaker: Nelson Poirier
Mushrooms always seem to
attract the attention of naturalists, especially in fall as nights cool.
September and October usually are the prime months for these gems to appear,
but dry conditions can affect that.
Nelson Poirier will give
a presentation on Tuesday, September 16, to delve into the magic of the world
of mushrooms, where they come from, what they’re up to, some clues to identify
some of the common ones especially those incredible edibles, as well as ones to
avoid and why, or whatever participants want to hear about or contribute to the
exchange.
Participants are asked
to start gathering specimens up to 5 days in advance to set up show-and-tell
tables, where specimens can be identified and discussed. Try to gather fresh
specimens where possible. Place them in a paper bag or with damp moss in a flat
container and refrigerate with a large felt marker labeled "Do Not
Eat." Do not store them in
plastic bags. The collections participants bring in will be an important
part of the event, as we will get to see a much greater variety of specimens
this way than on an outing to just one habitat.
(This could be a tall
order this season!)
As always, all are
welcome, Nature Moncton member or not. Just bring your enthusiasm and mushrooms
if possible!
This presentation will
be given in person, but also available on the Zoom link below, and anyone
anywhere is welcome to join in.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83529464672?pwd=bbP8MWqwz37da5NNEheuK7zaaMjMcb.1
**For a
ten-minute period on Sunday afternoon, starting about 4:00, a number of birds
decided it was bath time in the patio bath at the home of Deana and Peter Gadd
in Miramichi. Warblers were special guests and included a male black-and-white warbler, two northern parulas and a male American redstart. Not
to be left out were a black-capped chickadee, a female purple finch,
a song sparrow, and even a downy woodpecker had a peak at the
action.
Why should such a collection of birds appear at
the same time, have a drink and a splash for a few minutes, and not be seen
again? The non-warblers are regular visitors to the garden area, and the
warblers are seen from time to time … but why all of them at once? “Splash and
dash,” it seems.
**On Saturday,
on his way home from the Fort Folly field trip, Brian Stone stopped in at
Memramcook to check the lagoons for ducks and other waterfowl. At the Grand Pre
St. lagoon, he saw nothing but 4 gulls circling the lagoon, and that was it.
But at the Reid McManus lagoon, he saw it was full of ducks and geese,
including Canada geese, American wigeons, black ducks, wood
ducks, northern shovelers, green-winged teals, mallards,
and a couple of solitary sandpipers along the edge. There was a large
group of gulls circling over the lagoon and a few were landing in the
water occasionally. A couple of turkey vultures finished off the bird
count and then a short time was spent photographing a very small orb weaver
spider and a hickory tussock moth caterpillar. Very, very far
overhead, a waning gibbous Moon looked on while the Sun displayed another
22° solar halo.
**It’s that time of year when some folks start
to think about getting birdfeeders set more seriously and a good time to make
those preparations with a Nature Moncton birdfeeder. This excellent
design keeps food dry and is very bird-friendly. Some photos are in today’s
photo lineup and the feeders will be available at the Nature Moncton meeting on
Tuesday evening. They will also be available by the doorstep at 85 Mount Royal
Blvd. to pick up anytime. They are $35 each. Payment can be made by e-transfer
to naturemonctontreasurer2020@gmail.com or by cash at events, or by leaving it
in the mailbox at 85 Mount Royal Blvd. if you plan to pick it up there.
These feeders were designed and built
by Lynn and Fred Dube.
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
